Job and Islamic Tradition
One of the things I learned later in life, like when I lived in Doha, is that you (my Gulf and Moslem readers) have many of the same characters and stories in the Qur’an that we have in the Bible. Interesting, to me, the stories are not always exactly the same. Today’s reading in our lectionary (Old Testament) is from Job (you call him Ayoub, I think.)
First – if you read this, will you tell me if the story in Islam is similar to our story – that Satan is allowed to torment Job, because God believes him to be a faithful servant who will not turn away from him in times of hardship? Satan believes he can demonstrate that Job will be faithless?
Second – why is Satan called “the accuser?” I know Arabic is very close to the old Aramaic; is Satan always called Sheitan? Do you have other names for Satan? (These are not rhetorical questions; these are things I really don’t know) For example, Satan, in our tradition, is called The Father of Lies, The Great Deceiver, etc. But I don’t understand him being called The Accuser.
Third, toward the end of this reading his wife says essentially, give it up, Job, curse God and die. But the little asterisk says “bless”. This is a great puzzlement to me – a curse is the absolute 180° opposite of a blessing, I think. And then again, sometimes what appears to be a curse can be a blessing, and what appears to be a blessing can end up really being a curse. I just don’t understand why, in this context, the word curse could also mean bless? Do you?
Job 2:1-13
2 One day the heavenly beings* came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan (*Heb the accuser) also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan,* ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan* answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ 3 The Lord said to Satan,* ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ 4 Then Satan* answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives.* 5But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ 6 The Lord said to Satan,* ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’
7 So Satan* went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8Job* took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse* (bless) God, and die.’ 10 But he said to her, ‘You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him, and they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. 13 They sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.
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What an excellent post to start the holy month of Rammadan .
it will take some refreshing of the memory and some research , we took the story of Prophet Ayyoub (peace be upon him ) when we were kids in middle school .
i hope i will get back on this ( God willing )
In Arabic, Satan is referred to Sheitan or Iblees the most
Iblees literally translates to the one who causes despair… whereas Sheitan means the devil or evil.
There are numerous names for Satan in Arabic + other Satans and Satan sons
As for Job, you can read here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_(Bible)#In_Islam
Not a lot of info but something to start with
In Islam Ayoub has been through hell on earth and is always referred to as the patient, he was tested by God and got so sick that he had nothing healthy left but his heart and tongue to remember and pray to God although he was truly a mess. He lost his money and wealth and children. He would still pray to God (hence patience) He was so sick that everyone deserted him except for his wife and two brothers… His wife really stood by his side and took care of him. She was the one that worked for living to get him food and money… and people, being superstitious, were afraid to help her… they did not want to get Ayoub’s curse/disease.. so she sold her hair (one of her braids) and got food, Ayoub asked her where she got the food from she lied that she exchanged it for a service, the the next day she sold the other braid of hair.. and then he asked her again and swore to God he wont eat until she tell him the truth… she removed her veil and revealed her short hair! Ayoub get upset but he is too weak and decided to hit her 100 times when he gets better (also another reference that she was gonna ask Satan for help unknowingly he is the devil for medicine and Ayoub got upset and promised to hit her 100 times when he gets well)
He was this way for 18 long years until God ordered him to go wash and drink from a spring that he stomped his feet on and he got well after that to the point where his wife did not recognize him. He then again was ordered by God to gather 100 thin straws and hit his wife once only.. after all those years he was rewarded by God that he got his people back and made his wife younger and had many children from her. He lived for total of 93 years (died 20 years after he got well from his sickness)
Still to date… when someone goes through problems, people would tell him to take Ayoub as an example and be patient.
Sorry for the long comment… I hope I did not miss any thing, maybe others can also contribute and add or correct
daggero! Come back! Tell us what YOU learned, too!
Ansam – WOW. Total WOW. That is SO helpful. This is exactly the kind of thing it is hard for me to find written down – teachings and legends, too. I love this view of Job/Ayoub’s wife – how she sacrificed to help him eat and be more comfortable with his uncomfortable skin disease. I love it that God gives him a way to keep his vow (to hit his wife 100 times) so tenderly – it is also very cultural. Every time I read Job, I see something to think about, and I have so many questions. Thank you, thank you for taking the time to write so much; I really love your explanation.
Very interesting that you are bringing this up. I have also long questioned why Muslims do not know (and certainly do not believe) that God was betting with Satan about Job. Actually, He did it twice!
What Ansam explains cannot be found in the Qur’an, sorry. There are only four suwar briefly mentioning Ayyub: 4:163; 6:84 listing him among other prophets; and 21:83f, 38:41ff where his suffering and patience is mentioned.
When recently re-reading the interesting book by German/Iranian orientalist Navid Kermani about Fariduddin Attar, Job and the metaphysical revolt (God’s Terror, it will be published in English probably next year) I had kind of a revelation: The book of Job and the Qur’an describe the same thing from different perspectives. In fact, why should God (speaking in the Qur’an Himself) admit that He was betting with the devil?
How do you and your readers think about that?
Interested, Fahad
Hello, Fahad, and welcome.
I often do bible studies with Christians who have very fundamental beliefs. One of the things they say is “God never changes his mind.” If you read the bible, you will see that God negotiates several times. Moses begged God to change his mind, Noah begged for mercy for his townspeople, and God bargained with him. Jesus, whom we believe to be also the essence of God, apparently changes his mind several times – like his first miracle, when, at a wedding, his Mother asks him to change water into wine and he says it isn’t time for him to do miracles yet, but then, to honor his Mom, he does it.
It’s the same with God betting with the devil. Here is what I THINK – God knows our hearts. He really knew that Job loved him, and was so sure of it that he allowed the devil to torment Job. He (God) knew he could bring great good from the suffering. Those who watched Job suffer, and then prevail and get back more than he ever lost learned from his example. Centuries later, people are still reading it and learning. I guess I don’t believe I will ever have the full picture, but it is good exercise to read these stories and to ponder them, discuss with my “brothers and sisters” in faith.
Meanwhile, I often find that Islam has stories and legends from a slightly different perspective, and it might round out my understanding to know another perspective.
Like Ansam telling us about Job swearing he will hit his wife 100 times. That is SO un-Western, and yet – the Bible was set in this part of the world, and it is so much a part of the culture to say things like that, and then to relent, to be merciful, to find a solution that contains mercy and wisdom. Some of these Islamic teachings are hard to find in English.
But to answer your last question – we all believe God to be all-knowing. Satan, father of lies, the great deceiver, all puffed up and proud, is also very foolish. He wasted a lot of time and energy, tormenting a man whose heart belonged solidly to God. God knew his heart. I am thinking Satan wasn’t very smart to bet against God. Is it really a bet if the outcome is already known to one of the betters?
Thanks, Intlxpatr. I have to admit that I can approach this interesting issue only scientifically. The Book of Job is a difficult one. I suppose that hundreds of scholars have tried to analyze it over the millenia. Especially God’s response out of the thunderstorm (Chapters 38ff) is very disturbing, maybe not as much as His bet.
But what is really amazing is lack of all of this in the Holy Qur’an. Irrespective any theories (I am writing as interested agnostic here) when and how the Holy Book was revealed or written, one has to realize the consistency when compiling God’s word, and only God’s word. It is very clear throughout that it is not Muhammad who is ever speaking. And, I would really learn about the sources Muslims use for the plenty of legends which are not obvious from the Qur’an.
A note with regard to Satan. Most of the Bible was written when the Jews were either in Babylonian Captivity or after Cyrus the Great had freed them (late 6th century BCE) and Darius the Great sent them home to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (early 5th century), see the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Zachariah, Isaiah etc. Some even decided to stay in Persia, see Esther. They were under strong Zoroastrian influence. Read, for example Ezra, a governer sent to Jerusalem, who had to implement King’s Law, i.e., Darius’ view of legislature. God’s rule had to fit the Achemenian’s law. THus, the dual religion of Zoroaster had considerable impact on the obvious dualism of God vs. Satan in the Tanakh. You may find interesting informations in Jon Berquist’s Judaism in Persia’s Shadow (Wipf and Stock Publishers, Oregon 1995).
Sorry for this excursion. But I am really interested.
Whoa! You really have done some reading on this, Fahad. You are welcome; honestly, I am not at all scientific, I only ponder. I throw these questions out hoping someone more educated than I will give some input, so I am very grateful for yours. I had not thought of the Babylonian captivity and the return of the Jews at it’s end from any point of view but the biblical one. It hadn’t occurred to me that there was probably influence in both directions (old Locard’s exchange principle works in social and historical events, too, I believe). Now I have more to ponder. 🙂
I still wonder why “The Accuser” as a name for Satan?
I still wonder why the dichotomy between curse and bless in the last line. It must have something to do with the language . . .
Hi Intlxpatr! Thanks for the (fortunately positive!) response. I can be bothering sometimes, I know. When having had arrived in Kuwait, I had to make a decision. Either I had to improve my knowledge about the Bible or give up discussing religious matters at all. It would have been too embarrassing, since Kuwaiti Muslims are much more knowledgable about the Bible than the average ‘Christian’. So, I made my comparative ‘studies’ of the two faiths and became more and more fascinated and engaged. I still (now in Norway) do that.
As regards to The Accuser, maybe the following is interesting. Accuser is meant in the sense of prosecuter, I suppose (at least the German translation Widersacher resembles that meaning). So, Satan is the enemy of Man in particluar, accusing instead of submitting to him as demanded by God. In Islam (and I suppose, in Judaism too) Satan fell because he refused submitting to God’s new creature, Adam. All the other angels did, but Satan loved only God. So, in priciple, his act was an entirely positive expression of exclusive worship of God. Many regard him therefore the only true monotheist. A wonderful and very sad story can be read about this in Attar’s Musibatname. But also the Qur’an mentions it. So, it is very understandable that whenever God talks to Satan, the latter is accusing Man, thus, The Accuser.
As regards curse and bless. My Bible does not have an asterisk here. But don’t forget, this is not the end but the very beginning (chapter 2 out of 42) of the most disturbing book (to me) in the Bible!
I am still interested in opinions of our Muslim friends.
Intlxpatr :
i looked into some websites on this subject ,so i can’t call it research , but the main theme of the story is almost the same as what Ansam mentioned in her post , with some variations , maybe because the story is known in the three main religions , Judaism , Christianity and Islam . The holy Quran has mentioned the story in short verses , more information maybe obtained from other attributes of Islam such as Hadith ( saying of the Prophet Mohammed – Peace be upon him ) and from Islamic historians and scholars .
the comments i make i my own understanding only as a Muslim
The importance of the story of Prophet Ayyoub (Peace be upon him) is that it teaches us ,that through life the human being is tested in different ways , He is tested by being healthy , wealthy and having children and family and should be thankful for that , And he maybe tested by taking his health , wealth , and children and family ,this is a sever test specially for someone who had all these blessing in abundance in his life before, and to see whether the person will remain faithful or he will resent what happened to him (The why me question ) , like the story of what happened with prophet Ayyoub(Peace be upon him) .
It is also believed that the devil was not in the presence of God , because the devil was kicked out of Heaven , when our father Adam and mother Eve where sent to earth .
Muslims believe that the skies ( heavens ) are protected by the shooting stars to punish and deter devils and evil genies from getting close to hear what is being said in the heavens and then coming down to earth to mislead people by pretending to know what will be forthcoming by repeating what they have heard in the heavens . therefore making more and more disbelievers .
It is also believed that the devil was visible to people in the beginning of life on earth , and he became visible in many occasions , such as when he tried to dis sway prophet Ibrahim-Abraham (Peace be upon him) from sacrificing his son Ismael as was revealed to him in his sleep , he was sighted in three locations , and was stoned by Prophet Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) three times , a repeat of this action is part of the Hajj rituals performed by Muslims every year .
It is also believed that prophet Ayyoub’s(Peace be upon him) wife was despaired towards the end of the ordeal , and that’s maybe what made him angry at her and asked her , how many years we lived a good life , she said eighty years and how many years we lived in this situation she said seven , so he( said that Am I not to be ashamed to ask God for lifting of this test (ordeal ) and i haven’t passed at least the same number of years we lived in prosperity , maybe that’s the reason for his taking the oath to punish her 100 hits , if he ever became well again , and that’s why she was forgiven for all her Patience and love and caring she showed to her husband . The oath was fulfilled by using a hundred stems of grass or similar soft plants.(feminists would love to jump on this story to show how ungrateful man has been, since time immemorial , always will be ,to the kinder female gender), 🙂
The prophet Ayyoub (peace be upon him ) got his health back , and his wealth and his children so he was rewarded for his non despair and for being faithful and thankful .
The prayer he said is written in the Holy Quran and Muslims who are in dire situations are advised to say it and repeat it all the time .It is something like this (God I have been touched by harm and you are the most merciful of the mercifuls ) but of course in Arabic it is more eloquent and more correct .
Muslims believe that evil deeds are generated from the whispering of the devil and the whispering of the (al Nafis )could be anther name for the soul .So it is also believed when God created the soul he asked the soul who am and who are you , the soul replied that I am who I am and you are who you are , then God locked the soul for seventy years without ,and asked the soul afterwards who am I and who are you , the soul replied that i am who i am and your are the God of all .
This shows us that arrogance is part of the human soul and can be only tamed and humbled by denial of food ,nothing will make the humans humble like hunger , now that we are approaching the holy month of Ramadan , this can be tested .
like i said these are my comments and beliefs , and not ascholastic study , if i am correct in what i said then thanks to God , if i made mistake then i ask god for forgiveness .
Happy Ramadan to all
Thanks Daggero for your comment 🙂 I wasnt sure if mine was 100% correct 🙂
Fahad, I also see that Job is considered probably the oldest book in the bible, which I never knew before. So now when I think of your interpretation of The Accuser as the Prosecutor, I can see new possibilities – that as well as tempting us to be the very worst our human nature allows us, he dances with glee and takes us before our Father, and points his fingers at us and accuses/prosecutes us! Thanks be to God for his love, and his mercy, and most of all that he forgives us.
(I still have several days of reading Job ahead of me!)
By the way, I understand what you are saying about having a decision to make when you came to Kuwait. I, too, have learned more about my own faith from living here and learning more about my own gaps in knowledge.
Aha! I looked up The Accuser in BibleGateway.com and found this:
Revelation 12:10 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
Now there is some very good news. And you were right, Fahad, he accuses man before God. I learned something.
Daggero – absolutely fascinating, and enlightening. Thank you for all the hard work and research you did.
I had never heard the story about the soul being locked up and questioned, but as I was reading it, I could feel the pride of our egos which springs eternal, doesn’t it? And it is so pathetically easy to lead us from the paths we know to be the right paths. I remember a verse from the bible that says:
1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Here is a part that makes me continue to study this book. (I’ve read Job a time or two before, but I can’t begin to claim that I understand it. That’s why I ponder it, that’s why I ask for your input – it’s like fitting a puzzle together. There is truth in here, many truths, but at some point, it all needs to fit together with a satisfying ‘click’. . . )
At the end, Job gets everything back, more than everything he lost, he gets more back than he lost. As a mother . . . If God took away my children, even if I were amply provided with more . . . I would grieve the rest of my life for the children I had lost. Wealth can be replaced, land can be replaced, health can be restored – but losing a child? Losing your entire family of children? That part gives me serious pause. And perhaps that is one of the points, that Job, faithful heart that he is, does not question God on the loss of his children, but submits totally to his love of God and trust that God is all knowing, that all is well. Perhaps it is an early pointer to an afterlife that is better and more abundant than anything on earth, that Job’s children are in Paradise. . . and still, as a mother, it is a hard fence to take. Maybe it is the accuser, tempting my heart?
Also, I had not thought about wealth and abundance also being a test, and yet, you are so right, how we handle our blessings as well as our curses (hmmmmm) matters. . . . this is a lot of food for thought.
Ansam, your answer spurred more research – and how fascinating that Job’s spring is legend to be found in Oman, Yemen and in Syria! Would that there would be a wonderful spring that could restore us all to good health for many years to come!
Blessed Ramadan, my friends, and thank you for this great discussion. I hope that prowling lion, the accuser, finds you all well protected by a loving God as you observe your fast.
1-I asked my cousin about the thing you said in your first question, “that Satan is allowed to torment Job,” and he said that is not true and the whole ordeal Job went through was a test from God (which was convincing if you asked me, coz I believed, up to 10 minutes ago, that God had never spoken to Satan, let alone made a bet). BUT, I just read on another Muslim site that I was wrong and my cousin was wrong as well, and it was indeed “kind of” a bet between God and Satan. I don’t know what version of this story I should believe, I’m still leaning on the no bet was made version
2-Concerning your second question, Yes, we do have another name for Satan and it is Eblees. Eblees is Satan’s/Sheitan’s name.
3-your 3rd point: As far as I have learned from school, Job did not die, he was saved by God when He told God “God, I’ve been touched by harm and you are the most merciful#” and that is when Job was asked to strike the ground (near where he was lying) so that water would come out and he use the water to wash and drink to be cured.
#Notice how he did not “ask” God to cure him.
I learned a lot from reading this great discussion.
Thanks, Yousef – I agree, the idea of God betting with the devil is hard to accept.
OK, I have heard of Eblees. What I am wondering is if there are other names, names like attributes. You know how God/Allah has 99 names? Like The Merciful, The Enricher, etc? Does Satan have names that are attributes in Islam? I am asking because in this chapter of Job, Satan is referred to as “the accuser.”
OK, now you have me curious – so Job makes a prayer and reminds God that he is merciful, but does not ask for mercy, and God grants mercy?
I’ll ask about the attributes and come back later, hopefully, with an answer 🙂
About the prayer.. ugh my cousin was very eloquent when he was talking about this point (he made a big deal out of it.. that Job PBUH did not ASK for help). Ok, So Job was embarrassed to ask God and it was against his wish to pray or ask God for mercy or ask God for a cure, coz, as previous commenters mentioned, Job lived 80 good years and his years in sickness were far fewer than those in great health and wealth.. So basically, him asking for a cure would go against what he believed was the right thing to do, which is to be patient and accept whatever God offered. SO, saying “I was touched by harm, and you are the most merciful” is not really a dying man’s prayer, is it? I mean, imagine it was you, me, or any other human, we’d be praying and BEGGING God for mercy, and not just.. “oh i was touched by harm.. and you happen to be merciful..”
I mean, lets read the first half alone first:
“I was touched by harm”. Job PBUH was very wealthy and He lost all his money, all of it. But that is replaceable, right? Job PBUH had 14 sons, each one died just after the other was buried. Imagine going through all your kids, 14 of them, and burying them all, and now you’re alone with your wife.. err.. i mean husband. and then, you lose health. you lose your health and you can’t get out of bed, when you move, your skin (and some say parts/pieces of the body) start to fall out. people were disgusted by him and weren’t even visiting anymore, and then after all that, your spouse starts to sell their hair for food… ALL that and he did not ask God for mercy or a cure. ALL he did to show that he is in pain was use this “I was touched by harm.” God knew that! God was ready to grant him everything! ask for it and its yours! But no, he was embarrassed to ask.. and instead of saying a REAL prayer, he was just stating the obvious, not saying a word out of what is plain for everybody to see.. “I was touched by harm.”
“And you are the most merciful” He concluded.
Did he ask for anything? No. Did he say anything that is not already known to the whole village? No. He did not ask for anything, All he did was state the obvious and be patient.
That is why whenever we’re faced with boring people, bureaucracy, or anything that need patience, we say “Ya Sabir Ayyoub!” recalling how Ayyoub was patient….. How sad are we? 😛
Ansam and Intlxpatr ;
both are welcome , here is some more info i think it is correct , but needs scholar referneces ;
other names of the devil as listed in another arabic website :
ونصوص السنة ذكرت بعضًا من هذه الأسماء والمراتب مثل: الريح والعامر والغول والمارد والمَريد والعفريت وخنزب والرجيم وأزب وأزيب والرِّجس والنِّجس والخبيث والمُخبِث.
here is the English phonetic pronunciation and my translations ( as close as possible ) :
alreeh (the wind ), al amer (the one who lives in peoples homes ) ,al ghool (the monster ??) ,al mared( Giant ??) ,
al mareed ( without any goodness ??) , al afreet (Genni) ,khanzab (the one who distract you while you are praying ) ,al rajeem (the one hit with stones) , azeb conniving) , azeeb (a smaller conniver) , al rejes ( the filth ) , al najes (un pure ??) , al khabeeth ( devious ) , al mokhbeth ( the one who causes deviousness )
Also another name al weswas ( the whisperer) , al khanas ( the one that becomes quiet and small) – this happens when we mention the name of God by saying ( I seek refuge in Allah from the el shaitan (Devil ) who is pelted with stones.
Here is another Arabic website with the names and tasks of the different types of devils , aslo contains the names and the tasks of their off spring
http://www.f5ruae.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1038
These names are not wildely used ,
usually Iblees , el shaitan , el rajeem , el maloon (the one who is kicked from God’s mercy ) are used
may God protects us all
Yousef, that is fascinating. It shows Job/Ayoub to be humble and patient. You are right, I would be begging for mercy. But Job’s faith is so big that he knows God knows what is in his heart. Truly an astounding man.
Daggero, thank you! We use the word “ghoul” in English, I bet it came from Arabic.
Aha! From Wikipedia:
A ghoul is a monster from ancient Arabian folklore that dwells in burial grounds and other uninhabited places. The English word comes from the Arabic name for the creature: الغول ghūl, which literally means “demon”.[1] The ghul is a devilish type of jinn believed to be sired by Iblis.[2]
The female form is given as “ghouleh” in Muhawi and Kanaana (see ref below). The plural is “ghilan”.
The ghoul is a desert-dwelling, shapeshifting demon that can assume the guise of an animal, especially a hyena. It lures unwary travellers into the desert wastes to slay and devour them. The creature also preys on young children, robs graves, and eats the dead.[3] Because of the latter habit, the word ghoul is sometimes used to refer to an ordinary human such as a grave robber, or to anyone who delights in the macabre.
The star Algol takes its name from this creature.[4]
[…] to check out authentic resources. I encourage all my readers (Muslim and Non-Muslim) to check out this dialogue and bring your proofs. Posted by ummadam Filed in […]
Prophet Job (Ayoub
Ibn Ishaaq stated that he was a man of Rum. His name was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Razeh, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac (pbuh), Ibn Abraham (pbuh). Someone else said he was Job, Ibn Mose, Ibn Rimil, Ibn Esau, Ibn Isaac, Ibn Jacob. There have also been other statements on his lineage. Ibn Asaker narrated that his mother was a daughter of Lot (pbuh). It was said, also that his father was one who believed in Abraham (pbuh) when he was cast into the fire.
The first opinion is the most plausible, because he was a descendant of Abraham’s offspring as Allah Almighty declared: “That was Our proof which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All Knowing. And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob, each of them We guided and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good doers. (Ch 6:83-84)
Allah the Almighty praised His worshipper Job in His Glorious Quran: Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us! (Ch 38:44)
Job (pbuh) was repentant, remembering Allah with thankfulness, patience, and steadfastness. This was the cause of his rescue and the secret of Allah’s praising him.
A group of angels were discussing Allah’s other human creatures, how those who were humble earned Allah’s pleasure, while those who were arrogant incurred His displeasure. One of the angels remarked: “The best creature on earth today is Job, a man of noble character who displays great patience and always remembers his Generous Lord. He is an excellent model for the worshippers of Allah. In return, his Lord has blessed him with a long life and plenty of servants, as well as the needy and the poor share in his good fortune; he feeds and clothes the poor and buys slaves to set them free. He makes those who receive his charity feel as if they are favoring him so kind and gentle is he.”
Iblis overhearing all of this, became annoyed. He planned to tempt Job to corruption and disbelief, so he hastened to him. He tried to distract Job from his prayers by whispering him about the good things in life but Job was a true believer and would not let evil thoughts tempt him. This disturbed Iblis even more; thus he began to hate Job even more.
Iblis complained to Allah about Job. He said that although he was continuously glorifying Allah he was not doing so out of his sincerity but to satisfy Allah so that his wealth should not be taken away. It was all a show, all out of greed. “If You remove his wealth then You will find that his tongue will no longer mention Your name and his praying will stop.”
Allah told Iblis that Job was one of His most sincere devotees. He did not worship Him because of the favors; his worship stemmed from his heart and had nothing to do with material things. But to prove to Iblis the depth of Job’s sincerity and patience, Allah allowed him to do whatever he and his helpers wished with Job’s wealth.
Iblis was very happy. he gathered his helpers and set about destroying Job’s cattle, servants and farms until he was left with no possessions. Rubbing his hands in glee, Iblis appeared before Job in the guise of a wise old man and said to him: “All your wealth is lost, some people say that it is because you gave too much charity and that you are wasting your time with your continuous prayers to Allah. Others say that Allah has brought this upon you in order to please your enemies. If Allah had the capacity to prevent harm, then He would have protected your wealth.”
True to his belief, Job replied: “What Allah has taken away from me belongs to Him. I was only its trustee for awhile. He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills.” With these words, Job again prostrated to his Lord.
When Iblis saw this, he felt frustrated, so he again addressed Allah: “I have stripped Job of all his possessions, but he still remains grateful to You. However he is only hiding his disappointment, for he places great store by his many children. The real test of a parent is through his children. You will see how Job will reject You.”
Allah granted Iblis authority but warned him that it would not reduce Job’ faith in His Lord nor his patience.
Iblis again gathered his helpers and set about his evil deeds. He shook the fountain of the house in which Job’s children were living and sent the building crashing, killing all of them. Then he went to Job disguised as a man who had come to sympathize with him. In a comforting tone he said to Job: “The circumstances under which your children died were sad. Surely, your Lord is not rewarding you properly for all your prayers.” Having said this, Iblis waited anxiously hoping Job was now ready to reject Allah.
But again Job disappointed him by replying: “Allah sometimes gives and sometimes takes. He is sometimes pleased and sometimes displeased with our deeds. Whether a thing is beneficial or harmful to me, I will remain firm in my belief and remain thankful to my Creator.” then Job prostrated to his Lord. At this Iblis was extremely vexed.
Iblis called on Allah. “O my Lord, Job’s wealth is gone, his children are dead, and he is still healthy in body, and as long as he enjoys good health he will continue to worship You in the hope of regaining his wealth and producing more children. Grant me authority over his body so that I may weaken it. He will surely neglect worshipping You an will thus become disobedient.”
Allah wanted to teach Iblis a lesson that Jo was a devoted servant of his Lord so He granted Iblis his 3rd request but placed a condition: “I give you authority over his body but not over his soul, intellect or heart, for in these places reside the knowledge of Me and My religion.”
Armed with this new authority, Iblis began to take revenge on Job’s body and filled it with disease until it was reduced to mere skin and bone and he suffered severe pain. But through all the suffering Job remained strong in his faith, patiently bearing all the hardships without complaining. Allah’s righteous servant did not despair or turn to others for help but remained hopeful of Allah’s mercy. Even close relatives and friends deserted him. Only his kind, loving wife stayed with him. In his hour of need, she showered her kindness on him and cared for him. She remained his sole companion and comforter through the many years of suffering.
Ibn Asaker narrated: “Job was a man having much wealth of all kinds; beats, slaves, sheep, vast lands of Haran and many children. All those favors were taken from him and he was physically afflicted as well. Never a single organ was sound except his heart and tongue, with both of which he glorified Allah, the Almighty all the time day and night. His disease lasted for a long time until his visitors felt disgusted with him. His friends kept away from him and people abstained from visiting him. No one felt sympathy for him except his wife. She took good care of him, knowing his former charity and pity for her.”
Therefore Iblis became desperate. He consulted his helpers, but they could not advise him. They asked : “How is it that your cleverness cannot work against Job, yet you succeeded in misleading Adam the father of man, out of Paradise?”
Iblis went to Job’s wife in the form of a man. “Where is your husband?” he asked her.
She pointed to an almost lifeless form crumbled on the bed and said: “There he is, suspended between life and death.”
Iblis reminded her of the days, when Job had good health, wealth and children. Suddenly, the painful memory of years of hardship overcame her, and she burst into tears. She said to Job: “How long are you going to bear this torture from our Lord? Are we to remain without wealth, children or friends forever? Why don’t you call upon Allah to remove this suffering?”
Job sighed, and in a soft voice replied : “Iblis must have whispered to you and made you dissatisfied. Tell me how long did I enjoy good health and riches?”
She replied: “80 years.”
Then Job replied: “How long am I suffering like this?”
She said: “7 years.”
Job then told her: “In that case I am ashamed to call on my Lord to remove the hardship, for I have not suffered longer than the years of good health and plenty. It seems your faith has weakened and you are dissatisfied with the fate of Allah. If I ever regain health, I swear I will punish you with a hundred strokes! From this day onward, I forbid myself to eat or drink anything by your hand. Leave me alone and let my Lord do with me as He pleases.”
Crying bitterly and with a heavy heart, she had no choice but to leave him and seek shelter elsewhere. In this helpless sate, Job turned to Allah, not to complain but to seek His mercy: “Verily! distress has seized me and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.” so We answered his call, and we removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us.” (Ch 21:83-84)
Almighty Allah also instructed: “Remember Our slave Job, when he invoked His Lord saying: “Verily! Satan has touched me with distress (by losing my health) and torment (by losing my wealth)!” Allah said to him: “Strike the ground with your foot: This is a spring of water to wash in and cool and a refreshing drink.” And We gave him back his family, and along with them the like thereof as a Mercy from Us, and a reminder for those who understand. (Ch 38:41-43)
Job obeyed and almost immediately his good health was restored. Meanwhile, his faithful wife could not longer bear to be parted from her husband and returned to him to beg his forgiveness, desiring to serve him. On entering her house, she was amazed at the sudden change: Job was again healthy! She embraced him and thanked Allah for His mercy.
Job was not worried, for he had taken an oath to punish her with a hundred strokes if he had regained health but he had no desire to hurt her. He knew if he did not fulfill the oath, he would be guilty of breaking a promise to Allah. Therefore in His wisdom and mercy, Allah came to the assistance of His faithful servant and advised him: “take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith your wife, and break not your oath.” Truly! We found him patient. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us!” (Ch 38:44)
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “While Job was naked, taking a bath, a swarm of gold locusts fell on him, and he started collecting them in his garment. His Lord called him: “O Job! Have I not made you too rich to need what you see?” He said: “Yes, My Lord! But I cannot shun Your Blessings.” (Al Bukhari)
Thank you, thank you, Mona – that was very complete, and it is wonderful to have the references, so we know where the information originates. Many thanks, you have added immensely to this conversation.
[…] can greatly illuminate my own readings when I ask how their books approach – say the problem of Job / Ayyoub or problems of wealth and poverty, or, as today – […]